{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"26906e897b1ecb45f6e84784","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/26906e897b1ecb45f6e84784","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/26906e897b1ecb45f6e84784","title":"Lead, Forward Deployed Engineer","description":"Who We Are:\nAurelius Systems is a VC backed defense tech startup building autonomous, edge deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We build laser weapons to shoot down drones.\n\nWe're a small team of engineers, former US military operators, and subject matter experts scaling America's directed energy dominance. The first cost effective, reliable and robust laser weapon system.\n\nOur namesake isn't an accident. Marcus Aurelius wrote about doing the work in front of you, every day, without excuses. Henry Ford didn't wait for permission to reinvent manufacturing. That's how we operate — small team, unreasonable output, no hiding behind the unachievable.\n\nIn addition to our San Francisco lab, we’ve opened a Detroit manufacturing hub and we field test weekly on our own 400-acre private range.\n\nThe Role and Your Impact:\nWe need a Forward Deployed Engineer to lead demonstrations, field tests, and field integration on Archimedes. You're a generalist engineer who can work across mechanical, electrical, and software when the system is in front of a customer or downrange. You'll set it up, you'll fix it when it breaks, and you'll be the credible technical face of Aurelius when an operator is standing next to you. Between deployments you're back at the lab testing, breaking things on purpose, and bringing what you learned in the field back into the build.\n\nWhat You'll Own:\n\nSystem setup, integration, and operation at demonstrations, field tests, and customer sites\n\nField troubleshooting and repair across mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems\n\nPre-deployment system checkout and packing, post-deployment teardown and debrief\n\nReal-time integration work on novel hardware and software in non-lab conditions\n\nCustomer-facing technical interaction during demos, tests, and pilots\n\nCapturing field observations, failure modes, and operator feedback and feeding them back to engineering\n\nIn-lab testing, characterization, and rig work between deployments\n\nWhat We're Looking For:\n\n3 to 8+ years of hands-on engineering or technician experience on real hardware, ideally on systems that left the lab\n\nGeneralist depth across at least two of: mechanical, electrical, embedded software, integration\n\nHands-on troubleshooting skills with scope, multimeter, basic shop tools, and command line\n\nComfortable presenting and operating in front of customers, including military operators\n\nTravel-ready and physically able to support field deployments including range conditions and equipment handling\n\nWhere you probably come from:\nField service or test engineering at defense or aerospace companies, integration roles at hardware startups, military maintenance or test trades, motorsports or robotics field teams, or any program where you owned a system at the test site.\n\nWe want to talk if:\nYou've stood next to a piece of hardware in front of a customer when something failed and brought it back online. You're comfortable being the only engineer on site. You don't lose your composure when the system does.\n\nNot a fit if:\nYour experience is lab-only with no field exposure, you've never owned a customer-facing demo, or you need a full team to debug a problem.\n\nNice to Haves:\n\nMilitary service or close exposure to military operating environments\n\nCounter-UAS, directed energy, or air defense experience\n\nROS2 or robotics field integration experience\n\nActive TS/SCI clearance or eligibility\n\nWelding, machining, or fabrication shop skills\n\nEducation:\nAA, BS, MS, or PhD. No specific degree required. Trade school, military training, or engineering degree all welcome. What you've fielded matters more than where you went to school.\n\nHow You Operate:\n\nExtreme bias for action.\n\nCalm under pressure. The customer doesn't see the panic; they see the fix\n\nYou characterize your own systems before the field does\n\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment\n\nClear communicator across operators, engineers, and customers\n\nSelf directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told\n\nWhy Join Aurelius Systems?\n\nBuild more in 1 month than most engineers build in 1 year. We field test weekly. Your work goes downrange, not into a filing cabinet.\n\nCareer velocity is real. At ~10 engineers, there are no layers between you and impact.\n\nWork on a problem that actually matters. Small cheap drones are changing warfare. Our laser systems are the asymmetric answer — infinite magazine, near zero cost per shot, scalable to every base, border, facility, and truck.\n\nJoin the densest defense startup ecosystem in the country. California is where the next generation of defense companies are being built.\n\nHow We Work:\nCore hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 6. When we're sprinting toward a demo or field test, the team ramps up — nights, weekends, whatever it takes to ship. When the sprint lands, we ramp down. We don't manufacture intensity for show.\n\nBenefits:\n\nCompetitive salary + equity\n\nUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage\n\nFlexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days\n\nTravel to field test events and range days\n\nCovered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks\n\nE-bike / scooter stipend ( Up to $500)\n\nDirect access to leadership and real ownership over your work\n\nExport Control Notice:\nThis role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require \"U.S. Person\" status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a \"U.S. Person\": (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","company":"Aurelius Systems","rawCompany":"aurelius systems","city":"Millbrae","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":true,"createdAt":"2026-06-17T04:22:12.828Z","occupations":[{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"},{"code":"11-9041.00","title":"Architectural and Engineering Managers","slug":"architectural-and-engineering-managers"},{"code":"17-2072.00","title":"Electronics Engineers, Except Computer","slug":"electronics-engineers-except-computer"}],"industries":[{"code":"334511","title":"Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing","slug":"search-detection-navigation-guidance-aeronautical-and-nautical-system-and-instrument-manufacturing"},{"code":"541330","title":"Engineering Services","slug":"engineering-services"},{"code":"541715","title":"Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)","slug":"research-and-development-in-the-physical-engineering-and-life-sciences-except-nanotechnology-and-biotechnology"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Lead, Forward Deployed Engineer","description":"Who We Are:\nAurelius Systems is a VC backed defense tech startup building autonomous, edge deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We build laser weapons to shoot down drones.\n\nWe're a small team of engineers, former US military operators, and subject matter experts scaling America's directed energy dominance. The first cost effective, reliable and robust laser weapon system.\n\nOur namesake isn't an accident. Marcus Aurelius wrote about doing the work in front of you, every day, without excuses. Henry Ford didn't wait for permission to reinvent manufacturing. That's how we operate — small team, unreasonable output, no hiding behind the unachievable.\n\nIn addition to our San Francisco lab, we’ve opened a Detroit manufacturing hub and we field test weekly on our own 400-acre private range.\n\nThe Role and Your Impact:\nWe need a Forward Deployed Engineer to lead demonstrations, field tests, and field integration on Archimedes. You're a generalist engineer who can work across mechanical, electrical, and software when the system is in front of a customer or downrange. You'll set it up, you'll fix it when it breaks, and you'll be the credible technical face of Aurelius when an operator is standing next to you. Between deployments you're back at the lab testing, breaking things on purpose, and bringing what you learned in the field back into the build.\n\nWhat You'll Own:\n\nSystem setup, integration, and operation at demonstrations, field tests, and customer sites\n\nField troubleshooting and repair across mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems\n\nPre-deployment system checkout and packing, post-deployment teardown and debrief\n\nReal-time integration work on novel hardware and software in non-lab conditions\n\nCustomer-facing technical interaction during demos, tests, and pilots\n\nCapturing field observations, failure modes, and operator feedback and feeding them back to engineering\n\nIn-lab testing, characterization, and rig work between deployments\n\nWhat We're Looking For:\n\n3 to 8+ years of hands-on engineering or technician experience on real hardware, ideally on systems that left the lab\n\nGeneralist depth across at least two of: mechanical, electrical, embedded software, integration\n\nHands-on troubleshooting skills with scope, multimeter, basic shop tools, and command line\n\nComfortable presenting and operating in front of customers, including military operators\n\nTravel-ready and physically able to support field deployments including range conditions and equipment handling\n\nWhere you probably come from:\nField service or test engineering at defense or aerospace companies, integration roles at hardware startups, military maintenance or test trades, motorsports or robotics field teams, or any program where you owned a system at the test site.\n\nWe want to talk if:\nYou've stood next to a piece of hardware in front of a customer when something failed and brought it back online. You're comfortable being the only engineer on site. You don't lose your composure when the system does.\n\nNot a fit if:\nYour experience is lab-only with no field exposure, you've never owned a customer-facing demo, or you need a full team to debug a problem.\n\nNice to Haves:\n\nMilitary service or close exposure to military operating environments\n\nCounter-UAS, directed energy, or air defense experience\n\nROS2 or robotics field integration experience\n\nActive TS/SCI clearance or eligibility\n\nWelding, machining, or fabrication shop skills\n\nEducation:\nAA, BS, MS, or PhD. No specific degree required. Trade school, military training, or engineering degree all welcome. What you've fielded matters more than where you went to school.\n\nHow You Operate:\n\nExtreme bias for action.\n\nCalm under pressure. The customer doesn't see the panic; they see the fix\n\nYou characterize your own systems before the field does\n\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment\n\nClear communicator across operators, engineers, and customers\n\nSelf directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told\n\nWhy Join Aurelius Systems?\n\nBuild more in 1 month than most engineers build in 1 year. We field test weekly. Your work goes downrange, not into a filing cabinet.\n\nCareer velocity is real. At ~10 engineers, there are no layers between you and impact.\n\nWork on a problem that actually matters. Small cheap drones are changing warfare. Our laser systems are the asymmetric answer — infinite magazine, near zero cost per shot, scalable to every base, border, facility, and truck.\n\nJoin the densest defense startup ecosystem in the country. California is where the next generation of defense companies are being built.\n\nHow We Work:\nCore hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 6. When we're sprinting toward a demo or field test, the team ramps up — nights, weekends, whatever it takes to ship. When the sprint lands, we ramp down. We don't manufacture intensity for show.\n\nBenefits:\n\nCompetitive salary + equity\n\nUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage\n\nFlexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days\n\nTravel to field test events and range days\n\nCovered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks\n\nE-bike / scooter stipend ( Up to $500)\n\nDirect access to leadership and real ownership over your work\n\nExport Control Notice:\nThis role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require \"U.S. Person\" status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a \"U.S. Person\": (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","datePosted":"2026-06-17T04:22:12.828Z","dateModified":"2026-06-17T04:22:12.828Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Aurelius Systems","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Millbrae","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"26906e897b1ecb45f6e84784"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/26906e897b1ecb45f6e84784"}}